Leaning On One Another For Help

“Lean on Me” by Bill Withers

Please swallow your pride

If I have things you need to borrow

For no one can fill

Those of your needs that you won't let show

You just call on me brother when you need a hand

We all need somebody to lean on

The other day, I was sitting at the traffic light while thinking about people and conversations from my day. I was thinking about one of our clients who has so much on her plate, caring for multiple family members with health struggles and trying to have enough money to pay their bills. Things were just starting to move in a positive direction when they suffered another tragedy.

My thoughts were with that family and with another client who is fighting cancer, alone and overwhelmed with her bills. My thoughts also wandered to others battling cancer. Suddenly, I was jolted from my reflections when the song “Lean on Me” came on the radio. It was one of those moments that clicked and reminded me how much stronger we are as a community and how all of us at some point need someone to lean on.

The people who had been on my mind are dealing with overwhelming struggles. Thankfully, not all problems are that enormous, but all of us need someone to lean on from time to time. Some of our clients at SPAN are facing these devastating difficulties, though most of the clients we serve are in a unique temporary situation due to an emergency such as a job layoff, divorce, domestic abuse, illness or death in the family.

Hearing “Lean on Me” refocused me on how we all face problems at times. It also reminded me how helpful it is when others listen and lend a hand as needed. At SPAN, I constantly see the community coming together and being there for one another whether through volunteering, donating or other ways of helping such as giving a neighbor a ride. As the song says, it can be hard for people to ask for help. It is good that we can be ready to help when they do.

At the end of July, one of our regulars dropped off food. He is a dad who makes it one of his routine activities, with his baby and toddler, to take them shopping for others. We have had lots of other kids lending a hand lately with wonderful sets of donations this summer from the Vacation Bible Schools at Baldwin United Methodist Church in Millersville, Asbury United Methodist in Arnold, and Woods Memorial Presbyterian and Our Shepherd Lutheran churches in Severna Park.

On these hot summer days, remember that hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Our wish list this month includes items that would be packed in a lunch such as:

• Peanut butter and jelly
• Tuna
• Snacks: crackers, cookies, bars and nuts
• Packaged fruit
• Applesauce

Sometimes what we can do is listen. It is great when we can also help in concrete ways with food and emergency financial assistance. It always impresses me to think how many people are helped with the combination of many small individual donations. Occasionally, we all need a helping hand, and it is so wonderful, through my time at SPAN, to see so many examples of people being that helping hand.

SPAN (Serving People Across Neighborhoods) is an independent nonprofit food pantry and emergency services provider that has been helping local families with eviction prevention, utility turnoffs, medical/prescription bills, and food since 1990. SPAN serves 14 zip codes in Anne Arundel County. SPAN is located behind Our Shepherd Lutheran Church at 400 Benfield Road in Severna Park. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00am-1:30pm. For more information, call 410-647-0889, email spanhelps@yahoo.com or visit www.spanhelps.org. Financial donations may be made through the website. Food donations may be dropped off 24/7 using the storage bin behind SPAN’s building.